United’s Digital Tool Helps Flyers with CDC Rules

United Airlines is responding to updated CDC new air travel rules requiring mask-wearing, social distancing and coronavirus testing by launching a digital portal designed to streamline customer compliance amid rising Covid-19 death tolls and a potentially more contagious strain. The airline's new Travel-Ready Center, which is accessible via its mobile app and desktop website's My Trips tab, lets flyers to upload Covid-19 test results or proof of vaccination. It also provides information on local entry requirements, and may soon help users schedule COVID-19 tests. “Aggressively managing the challenges of 2020 depended on our innovation and fast-paced decision making,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said. “But, the truth is that Covid-19 has changed United Airlines forever.” Promoting safety while waiting for recovery By creating a simple, "all-in-one" platform for travelers to meet the CDC travel requirements, United hopes to ensure risk from air travel is mitigated as much as possible without creating a labyrinth of obstacles for customers. The reassurance of personalized, online information directly available to passengers could could help boost airline ticket sales without fear of running afoul of the CDC. Outlining the requirements in advance could also make life a bit less onerous for flight attendants and crews, who have had to police passenger behavior regarding mask-wearing while in-flight. More broadly, the new CDC travel requirements are geared to slow the spread of Covid-19 while allowing airlines to begin their slow path to the recovery. In 2020, airlines were hit with a 53% drop in passenger demand in North America; further losses are expected into 2021. The declines have been so severe that the airline industry is not projected to see a rebound in global passenger traffic until at least 2024. Though United’s Travel-Ready Center is the first of its kind, other major airlines are likely to introduce their own customer-friendly interfaces for the new CDC rules in the near-future. Here’s how United’s Travel-Ready Center will work: Customers with a United reservation can find an extensive list of requirements for entry to their destination, as well as information about connecting flights. Travelers can upload required documents, such as Covid-19 test results or proof of vaccination. United will then review the documents and indicate whether the customers are "travel-ready." In the near future, United also plans to include a way for customers to schedule a Covid-19 test at one of the 15,000 testing locations throughout the country. Additionally, flyers on the Travel-Ready Center platform may be able to access United’s Agent on Demand service, which they can use to speak with a live agent for help navigating the requirements.

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United's Travel-Ready Center Promises to Help Flyers with CDC Requirements

The airline is trying to 'aggressively manage' Covid-19 rules and challenges

Ty Joplin

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